BMW Off Road Course - TIPS!

Accomodation for off road course

Finding accommodation can be a problem.

Try here

Highly recommended:thumb
 
If anyone's looking for a friendly B&B I can thoughrely recommend the
Pen Pentre.
Excellent food clean and comfortable and 2 mins from the school.
01639 843013
stay'd there on the 12th/13th July.
ian
 
Top Tip: At the free meal on the Saturday night have a pudding off the kids menu. Mine was great, it was ice cream and sweats made to look like a clown.......
 

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Top Tip: At the free meal on the Saturday night have a pudding off the kids menu. Mine was great, it was ice cream and sweats made to look like a clown.......

Suprised you didn't run away from it:eek:
 
Another vote for Pen Pentre B&B!

Stayed there 2-4 Sept 2010.

Very nice and clean. Good breakfast.

Only downer is that you have to ride/drive out to a pub/or resturant as there's not one within easy walking distance. I rode out to the Abercrave Inn each evening for scoff and got a few tinnies from the shop in Pehnros on the way back.

Stan & Sharon, the owners are nice people.
 
Sweaty!

And.......................

.............. as has been mentioned by others above, don't be overdressed as you will sweat LOTS!

If I go again for a Level 2 (or even another Level 1) course, I will stuff a fresh T-shirt in the big pocket on the back of my jacket each day to put on at lunchtime, rather than sit eating my sarnies in a cold, wet, clammy top and then be able to start out for the afternoon in a nice dry top.

(Even the flash wicking ones were saturated by lunchtime - Sweaty!)

Turned my jacket and riding trousers inside out each evening to let them dry for the next day too.
 
2. Try to get the feel and understand where they are coming from with the front brake locking and rear brake locking exercises as these come in extremely useful when out on the steep hills. Most of the cock ups and drops/crashes i saw were down to the brakes locking up on hills and people not releasing the brakes to get back control. drop it into first, let the clutch out and rely on engine braking if in doubt as the bike wont go any faster than walking pace then. Use of the brakes should be gradual and controlled, gradual pressure, smack them on and you'll lock up.

+1. Particularly the clutch. A lot of the crashes I've seen with real offroad n00bs incorporate some aspect of failure to use the clutch properly.

When everyone else in your group is on G650Xs and you're on an F800GS, double check with the instructor if when he says, "don't use your brakes on this descent, just engine braking" he is really referring to the whole group or just the others.
:augie

Try and get in the habit early on of winding the throttle on when it starts to slip about. It's hard to overcome road riding instincts, but often a bit of throttle can straighten the bike out.

Don't give up and think "I've crashed" because you're at a point where it'd be irrecoverable on the road; the window of opportunity to save crashes is much greater when you're in dirt.

Don't be afraid to try to gnarlier stuff if the instructors give you the opportunity. They won't ask you to do anything beyond your abilities/too dangerous. You learn faster by pushing yourself a bit harder.

EDIT: If you're not used to riding on the road on knobblies, really edge on the side of caution with things like lean angle and how hard you brake/accelerate when on paved roads. Especially if it is wet. The session before my first one, someone broke their arm and knackered a bike less than 100m from base, within half hour of arriving there!
 
Don't be afraid to ask questions. The lot fo them are really friendly people!
I found lunch was alright actually, but the snack bars they hand out are good too!

you do get very hot, summer leather glvoes are too thick, rent a pair or buy a cheap pair of moto-x glvoes, worth it (i ended up renting on day 2)

i cannot stress how vital it is you drink/eat enough, on day 1 for me, towards the end i crashed (nutritionally speaking) and just sat down for the last hour and had to let the others get on with it, which was disappointing!

finally, make the most of it! it's not your bike, ride it like oyu stole it. I ripped the front wheel (and calipers et al) of a r1200, all i got was a "damm that going to be expensive" and a cheer for "crash of the weekend" they really dont care. As has been said, push yourself, and enjoy it
 
Agree with all said. Deffo take camel back or similar and get some sports drink in it as it replaces lost salt and some carbs. Snackwise Tesco are doing 3 snack bags of choc bits and nuts etc. for £2 at the mo and these are great to scoff inbetween breaks.

Driving down is good option as have heard of bikes being nicked as they are essentially left for the day (and night) at well advertised times in known locations (not scaremongering just be careful).

All levels are catered for, being a woman was fine, except for mrs p's well meant but bloody patronising pep talk. It's only required if you are a worried rider. Mind you I can be a stroppy git.... Working on it....

Back down beginning of June for 1200 on trail ride in the beacons :)
 
Eat breakfast!

Even if you normally get by on a quick cup of coffee and a slice of toast (or less), you are going to need that extra energy. The biggest fallers on the course we did, were simply knackered - by the second afternoon there were a couple of otherwise perfectly competent guys in our group who couldn't even perform relatively simple manoeuvres without dropping the bike. :blast
 
Sorry to resurrect what is an ancient topic, but has anyone gone on one of these courses recently?

For me £500 for the weekend represents a huge amount of money, but I have been saving for a couple of years, it was for going on a trip but I found the gravel roads in The Faroes very daunting and it has made me realise I need to know how to ride on stuff other than tarmac. There were roads I got part way along and bottled out and turned and came back because of my lack of confidence and ability on loose surface with tyre ridges and where the rain had created little gutters. I was on Tourance tyres which I didn't find that grippy on these gravel roads, but I then don't know how to use them. I have never been a hero, I cover long distances and do it as economically as possible, I have got 105,000 out of the clutch on my 1150 Adv so far and no reason why it won't do another 50,000 yet.

So, what I am really asking is will I actually get £500 worth of knowledge, or are there other alternatives to give me the tuition that I need to get some confidence to take the bike off the tarmac. Wet grass on a campsite fills me with dread at the moment - to the point I will leave it at the gate on hard standing and walk in with my kit, rather than risk dropping it trying to ride across the field.

What can people recommend please? I am not new to riding, I ride my bike all year round and have been riding as my main means of transport for 40 odd years. Probably very badly though judging by what I have seen on the videos - I would never dream of being able to ride like that.
 
Sorry to resurrect what is an ancient topic, but has anyone gone on one of these courses recently?

For me £500 for the weekend represents a huge amount of money, but I have been saving for a couple of years, it was for going on a trip but I found the gravel roads in The Faroes very daunting and it has made me realise I need to know how to ride on stuff other than tarmac. There were roads I got part way along and bottled out and turned and came back because of my lack of confidence and ability on loose surface with tyre ridges and where the rain had created little gutters. I was on Tourance tyres which I didn't find that grippy on these gravel roads, but I then don't know how to use them. I have never been a hero, I cover long distances and do it as economically as possible, I have got 105,000 out of the clutch on my 1150 Adv so far and no reason why it won't do another 50,000 yet.

So, what I am really asking is will I actually get £500 worth of knowledge, or are there other alternatives to give me the tuition that I need to get some confidence to take the bike off the tarmac. Wet grass on a campsite fills me with dread at the moment - to the point I will leave it at the gate on hard standing and walk in with my kit, rather than risk dropping it trying to ride across the field.

What can people recommend please? I am not new to riding, I ride my bike all year round and have been riding as my main means of transport for 40 odd years. Probably very badly though judging by what I have seen on the videos - I would never dream of being able to ride like that.

I did the ORS course 4 years ago, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I can't say whether it's worth the price, as this was recommended and discounted by my dealer, so I didn't look elsewhere.

If money is a bit tight though, drop Skygod a PM, as he offers tuition for a lot less, and you'll probably get one on one training.:thumb
 
I did the ORS course 4 years ago, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I can't say whether it's worth the price, as this was recommended and discounted by my dealer, so I didn't look elsewhere.

If money is a bit tight though, drop Skygod a PM, as he offers tuition for a lot less, and you'll probably get one on one training.:thumb

Thanks very much, I don't know who Skygod is, but I will look him up.
 
I haven't experienced the training with sky god, but I've done ORS a number of times usually at the start of the year at level 2.

Training is for all levels of ability and they are very good are developing confidence with off road and loose surface. For example moving at speed and slamming the brakes on, trying it with abs on and off. Riding ruts, adverse cambers, down hill ( bloody steep), up hill bike stall and recoveries, etc.

I've done level 2 a few times and i will again in spring. Recommended.


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Thanks Guys - I am not in a position to do the BMW course more than maybe once every 5 years, if I saved hard. It is mighty expensive for a weekend. Just like some people can afford a Ferrari, they might be brilliant etc, but not everyone has that kind of money.

I shall look at the other alternatives mentioned and sort something out - trailquest only go throgh the summer, so that's them out. I need someone who operates now!
 
Thanks Guys - I am not in a position to do the BMW course more than maybe once every 5 years, if I saved hard. It is mighty expensive for a weekend. Just like some people can afford a Ferrari, they might be brilliant etc, but not everyone has that kind of money.

I shall look at the other alternatives mentioned and sort something out - trailquest only go throgh the summer, so that's them out. I need someone who operates now!

I do recommend that you speak to Gary @ Adventure Bike Warehouse. I took a mate of mine for his first off road training to ABW, and he learned loads @ a great pace, and it did his confidence the world of good. Gary uses Honda CRF250's which are a cracking bike to learn on.....:D
 
I do recommend that you speak to Gary @ Adventure Bike Warehouse. I took a mate of mine for his first off road training to ABW, and he learned loads @ a great pace, and it did his confidence the world of good. Gary uses Honda CRF250's which are a cracking bike to learn on.....:D

Working from home tomorrow, waiting for a chap to collect a kayak and a delivery coming too - so I shall try and contact them.
 
I'm booked

I've just booked myself on a level 2 course for the 7th & 8th August, courtesy of SWIMBO as a Christmas pressie :bounce1

Not yet sorted any accommodation which I'll do once I've decided how many nights I'll be stopping as I might have to drive up early on the first morning.

Is anyone else thinking of doing an ORS course this year? I've read through this and some googled reviews, but would welcome any further advice offered as this is my first visit to the ORS

:beerjug:
 


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